When people are asked to define comfort foods, the answer is variable. There are as many variations to the answer as there are individuals who are asked the question. What makes something a comfort food while others are not? Is it related to diet or type of recipe? Is it related to region or country?

At a restaurant, a waitress was asked the question of what she thought of when she was asked about comfort foods. She did not hesitate to answer, "Oh, meat loaf and potatoes, green beans. Stuff like that." When asked to describe how she came to her answer, she said, "These are the things that I had growing up at family meals." It appears she related to meals that she had at home with family.

Comfort foods remind people of home and family. It is food that gives them comfort, a sense of family and home. People think of family gatherings, holidays, and special occasions. It does not necessarily have to do with a secret family recipe (although the secret might be that eating gives members of the family a warm feeling of home). It is not surprising that everyone has an image of a family meal.

Yahoo! News Search Results for comfort foods
Yahoo! News Search Results for comfort foods

Taste: Mac ?n? cheese
With fall peeking its cool head around the corner, the season for comfort foods is fast approaching. Forget mashed potatoes and fried chicken -- here it?s all about the quintessential macaroni and cheese.
10 decadent foods with half the guilt
(Photo: Getty Images) It's hardly a secret that cooking fresh foods at home is better for your health, waistline, pocket book, and the planet than choosing packaged foods or eating take-out. Does that mean you can eat anything you want as long as you prepare it yourself? Unfortunately, most of us need to steer clear of high-calorie foods that contain too much fat and salt. But this doesn't mean ...
Program focuses on healthy cooking for elders
Shane Valentine?s latest book may be ?Baby Cuisine,? but it was easy for him to shift to creating recipes for the elderly. ?It?s the same thought process,? he said.
Local Flavor: Olyvia's Italian Eatery
This week's Local Flavor takes us to a neighborhood eatery in Berks County.
Orphanage Donation
Tim Rose, Tyson Foods, presents a check to W.A. Dillard, trustee for the Texarkana Baptist Orphanage for $4,585. The money was raised from the fifth annual Tyson Golf tournament to benefit the orphanage. The orphanage will use the money for their educational programs.
USO still sparkles in modern day
When the USO is mentioned, it conjures up visions of World War II canteen dances or overseas tours by Bob Hope. People in Shelby County who aren?t directly involved in the military might not realize that lively USO facilities still exist at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh and at the Indianapolis International Airport.
Bring home the bakery
The West Bend 41300 Hi Rise Bread Maker features programmable options allowing for anyone to enjoy the scent of freshly baked bread in their own kitchen. Complete with a bake delay option, the bread maker is capable of greeting users returning home from work with a loaf of freshly baked bread.
Cashing in on comfort
By EMILY BRYSON YORK CHICAGO TRIBUNE Tough times call for some serious comfort food, and macaroni and cheese is a staple of that category. That's added up to a nice payday for manufacturers. As a whole, macaroni and cheese sales are up 25 percent over the last four years, to $802 million. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner accounts for the vast majority of category growth, which likely means more ...
Answer Man: Papaya, pineapple and pregnancy
Should pregnant women avoid eating papaya or pineapple? The Answer Man dispenses some medical advice, to wit: Talk to a doctor, not me.
Cancer: 21 June - 21 July
Today: Self-esteem issues are firmly on your agenda, and there is nothing to stop you feeling good about yourself and your assets. Use this to advantage and you?ll strike gold. At the same time someone?s idea of a shared investment is vague and needs careful scrutiny. What's in your handbag this week? Your favourite comfort foods to snack on whenever the mood takes you. This...